Truck Waterfall

 I have always loved water as far back as I can remember. Maybe it was being born in California and spending a large chunk of my childhood on the Oregon coast or maybe it just as simple of the calming sound is makes when in movement. Whatever it is I am at peace when near so it should come to no surprise that when given in opportunity to turn my love of water and vintage junk and Ed's love of old trucks into a beautiful feature in my yard I jumped on it. 

A lot of our free time is spent looking for truck parts. This means we are traveling to new places or exploring junk yards any chance we can. During one of Ed's junk yard adventures he came across this really neat 1952 Ford pickup cab. The truck cab was rusty and crusty, missing some things including a hood but had some neat bullet holes. The coolest thing about the cab was that the door had been painted with some ones name on it. Right away when he sent me the pictures I knew we had to have it and turn it into something amazing. 

Back in 2018 we were really just starting exterior home renovations that would require the use of heavy equipment aka a backhoe. During our travels across Michigan's Upper Peninsula we had come across this neat yard feature. It was of this old truck cab in far worse shape then ours that had water coming out of hood and going into a pond. From the moment I saw it I knew that was what we needed to do with our truck cab. We heading up to the junk yard first opportunity we could and picked up the cab, and I also found a really neat patina hood (wrong year but really cool) and brought it on home. We spent the rest of that summer looking for the missing cab lights, mirrors, headlight rings etc. Finally; we dug out the hole and positioned the truck. Ed wired the cab and headlights to come on at dusk. Without doing anything else it was already pretty darn amazing. We continued digging out the waterfall stream... that's right we decided a pond less waterfall was just what our space needed. Laid the liner, filled the reservoir and started to dream up how it would be landscaped and the joy it would bring us and others passing by. 

By summer of 2019 it was time to start laying out landscaping and trying to navigate waterfall upkeep, leaves and animals... of things that we had not thought of before. 

Just like any project over the years since it has evolved, changed, challenged us and it has brought us and the people around us joy. It will continue I am sure... 

Binzebo - Construction Part 2 of 4

If you have been following along we did it!!! We purchased a Pinterest inspired item that I thought was just a dream project that would stay pinned in the land of things I wish I could... and never turn into a how lucky and I to have item. We purchased a 1950's grain bin with hopes of turning it into an outdoor bar/lounge aka Binzebo.

Grain Bin On Original Farm Site

In part 1 of this 4 part series I talked about the cost and process of obtaining this beauty. Make sure to check it out: Part 1

Part 1 Total $1450.00

Construction process was a long one even though we had the installation manual we felt very overwhelmed. We started out by laying all the pieces out and deciding which ones we planned to use and where. The original setup was far shorter than our planned design so we had to figure out how to increase height. After ordering all new bolts we began the reconstruction process. The farmer that we purchased from had informed us that the top had to be constructed first then lifted with walls being built as it was slowly lifted up. 

It was a slow process. We worked on a couple pieces at a time, pressure washing as we went. With full time jobs, side jobs and other home construction projects it took us 2 months to get the top constructed. We set 7 post at 12 feet. We chose 12 feet because we wanted 9 foot plus head room and post went right to top along the almost 3 foot side wall. 

As you can the yard is sloped so we had to take that into consideration when putting the post in. Don't worry, yard will be leveled during landscaping phase. The next step was to get top onto 7 preset post. 

It was time to get to lifting. We hunted and hunted for heavy equipment without any luck. we had no chose but to hire some big guns and hire a crane truck. 

This was the most exciting day ever. The work was far from over but we could now start to see it coming together. We spent several late nights putting up the back wall.

But man doesn't it look fabulous?!! 

Ed climbed up and put on the cap and we were ready to start painting post, adding a fun touch and deciding where the fire ring would go. 

The next step will be level the area and then add the fire bar under the BUTLER logo.

P.s. Having BUTLER painted in was a special project. I had to have it, and since our grain bin is generic it was not originally on it. 

Part 2 cost:

- $175 bolts

- $280 Post and concrete 

- $150 crane

- $30 paint

- $50 BUTLER logo 

Part 2 Total = $685 

Project Total (so far) = $2035

Binzebo - The Big Purchase Part 1 of 4

Yee Haw!!! It has started. Have you ever been browsing Pinterest and come across something fabulous and thought to yourself I would love to have that but man we could never afford it or construct it? This was/is one of those items. About a year ago I came across this picture of a farm grain bin that had been turned into a gazebo and it was love at first sight. I pinned it for later.. aka never going to happen but I don't want to lose it. A couple months later it popped up again and again I thought man I really want. Knowing that Ed would say umm no I showed him and to my surprise he said let's make it happen. Dang! That is all I needed to hear to start the planning juices flowing. I don't normally get a yes so fast and when he does I don't normally get planning participation but this was different... secretly I think he was also experiencing love at first sight. 😍

Pinterest Inspiration Picture

Additional Pinterest Inspiration Picture

Excitement set in and the ideas started flowing. We both agreed that we wanted it near our current firepit and maybe even have it where you could sit at the bar and firepit at the same time. We also knew right away we wanted a solid back wall with a TV mounted (much like inspiration picture). With excitement flowing through my fingertips I started planning. Location and style were set but there is so much more to putting up such a huge structure then that. We started hunting for the perfect yet inexpensive grain bin to buy. After months of hunting online we found one. Perfect size of 14' in diameter. Great condition for age. Grain bin was set on family farm in 1950's and has been used by 3 generations. The only downfall was distance from home and the big one... how are we going to get this huge grain bin disassembled and hauled home. The farmer was amazing he offered to disassemble for us and had the original setup manual. First nice day in February we headed the 7 hours south and out of state and loaded it up in the truck and trailer and brought it home. The pile was heavy and huge but home.. now the real fun could begin. How are we going to assemble this beast?! **Being the sorta person I am; all I could think of is how will I decorate it. 😂**

Purchased Grain Bin Original Site

Loaded up and heading home.

How much did it cost? Keeping with my moto of keeping life transparent here you go. 

• Grain Bin $1000
• Extra for Farmer to take down $100
• Travel cost $350; (truck/trailer rental and gas) 

This makes running total $1450